I absolutely love it when a project I pitch to an editor ends up on the pages of a magazine. Such was the case with this project I recently pitched and shot for Atlanta Magazine. The idea was simple: show up at a local courthouse, photograph couples getting hitched and ask them a few questions. Myself, an assistant, and reporter Camille Pendley (also an Atlanta freelancer) did exactly that on Dec. 14 at the Dekalb County (Ga.) Courthouse. It was so much fun!!!

Rise Up! Here are a few frames from my coverage last Sunday of the NFC Championship, between the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers. I covered the game for the Falcons, who I’ve worked with for several years on a number of projects.

What made this game special, among many other things, is that it was the last game played in the Georgia Dome. Ever. The Dome, built in 1992, and where countless football games, concerts, and other events have been held, will be demolished this summer. The Falcons will start the 2017 season at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is currently being constructed about 100 feet away from the Dome.

Yesterday’s election was a long and emotionally charged day for many, including myself, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Election Day coverage team for The New York Times. It started in the wee hours of the morning, capturing the scene at voting polls around Atlanta, and ended documenting the reactions to the news that Donald J. Trump will be the next President of the United States. Above, several women dance to The Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to photograph a few Falcons players in the new throwback uniforms, which will be worn this Sunday (Oct. 23) against the Chargers, and again on Dec. 18 against the 49ers. I had about 4-5 minutes with each player, and the goal was to capture the uniform from several different angles, so the Falcons could use the images in composite (below) to announce on their website and social media. A big thanks to Michael Benford for making it all happen, and for donning Devonta’s helmet for light tests :-)

A couple of weeks ago, I covered the semifinals and championship of ELeague Season One, held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, for ESPN. It was the culmination of a 10-week competition that started with 24 teams, all playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. These are all professional teams, complete with sponsorships, coaches, etc. It’s serious business with lots of money on the line. The winners, Virtus.Pro, took home $400k after defeating FNATIC. Above, Robin Ronnquist (flusha), who plays for FNATIC, warms up for the semifinal round against NA’VI.

My first assignment for the lovely Atlanta Magazine was for their photo column, “One Square Mile,” which publishes on the last page of every issue. I headed to the Georgia/Alabama state line with freelance writer Josh Green to the renowned Robinson & Sons convenience store in Tallapoosa, Ga. Well, it’s renowned if you live in Alabama and like to play the lotto. You see, lotto is not available in Alabama, and Robinson & Sons is on the first exit after crossing into the Peach State.

It sounded like something from the 1960: About 180 minorities were purged from the voter rolls just before a major election where a white candidate won by a narrow margin (African-Americans make up about 85% of the population). But it wasn’t, it’s a situation that many in Sparta, Ga., have dealt with recently. The Times sent me there to take portraits of some of the main players in the story, and to document a bit of what life is like there.

The Times called me last week and asked if I’d be interested in doing a ride-along with law enforcement. I didn’t have to think about it … of course I would. Crime was one of my beats when I started out as a reporter for The Moultrie (Ga.) Observer in 2001, and it has remained something I love to cover. But this assignment was different than previous law enforcement stories. For one, I was one of several journalists dispatched by the Times across the country to do ride-alongs on the same day. We were covering one shift of law-enforcement, from as many officers’ perspectives as possible.

I shot this feature back in April for the Post, but considering the RNC is underway this week, I believe it’s still as timely as it was then. I photographed two people of color here in Atlanta, one who heads up the National Diversity Coalition for Trump and the other, a Tea Party activist who thinks Trump is alienating people of color.

Alabama is like a second home to me … I’ve traveled there quite a bit in the past couple of years, mostly for The New York Times. This last time was back in April when I went to the University of Alabama and to nearby Central High School, where I attended a seniors awards ceremony. The story was about how large universities, such as UA and the University of California, are pursuing out-of-state students (critics argue) and leaving many in-state students behind. Above, a man walks in front of the Gorgas Library stairs at UA.